Automatic shutter-worker.



B. A. PROUTOR. AUTOMATIC SHUTTER WORKER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19,1912U v Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

63% I Swe 10 i klt'fii Afr'rtodron, or new 2031;, iv. Y,, -Assrenon I ,OF New YORK, N. Y.,.'.A CORPORATION V specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 19, 1912.

TO rrcrunnenarn COMPANY. or NEW YORK. I

AUTOMATIC SHUTTER-WORKER.

Patented Dec.16,1913. Serial No. 721,199.

Tnnlfwhom it may concern: I l

'Be it known thatriI, Barron A. Pnoo'ron,

of thecit-y, county, and State of New York,

have invented a. new and useful Improvement yin Automatic Shutter-\Vorkers, of

which the following is afull clear, and exact description.

My invention'relates to improvements in automatic shutter workers for moving picture machines. Automatic shutters for moving picture machines are, as is well known, operated so as to'open and close the aperture of the machine, and to open the aperture when the machine is operating at the right speed to take perfect pictures.

The object of this invention is especially to greatly simplify shutter working mechanism of this kind, to make the shutter working mechanism more sensitive than heretofore so that the shutter will stay open when the speed of the machine is exactly right. and close when it is not exactly right, and

'further' to accomplish this result with thes'imples't' and cheapest kind of mechanism. I'hav'e"found that if a shaft is rotated with I tight; and loose member thereon, such members being in close juxtaposition, and if a; liquid, preferably viscous, is placed between .the tight and loose members. then whelllhfi shaft isspeeded to a certain extent-the liquid, between the members causes thcmto cohere'to' a certain extent, and will by its centrifugal movement engage, the opposed partswith such friction that the loose member will move with the tight member, but as soon as the speed is-slacked to the least extent, the liquid piston tends to assume its normal position, and t-heloose member stops. I utilize this idea for operating the shutter by connecting the shutter operatively with the aforesaid loose member, and

arranging this on the driving shaft in proxim'ity to the-tight member and with a sufficient quantity 'of liquid, preferably oil, between :the said members. In this way I get the simplest construction and the best results' Reference is to be had to the accompanyiing drawings forming a part of this specification, in. which similar reference chemo-- ters indicate. corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure I is a front elevation of a shutter operatively connected with working mecha nism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a.

side elevationof the structure shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 ma detail sectional View showing the relation of the tight and loose members forming a part of the friction clutch for operating the shutter.

The machine 10 can be of any customary or preferred kind, and it has a shutter 11 which as illustrated is hung-on a shaft 12 so that when the shaft turned in one direction the shutter is opened, and when turned in the other direction the shutter is closed. The shaftisoperated by means of a crank 13, and as shown this crank is held in an adjustable manner between'nuts let on a pitmanor rod 15 which extends'th'rough a pivoted lug on the crank 13, then connects with a collar or member 17 which is loose on a driving shaft 18-. This shaft forms a part of the ordinary driving mechanism of the machine, and it is shown rovided with a driving gear 19 attache to the sleeve 20 which is secured to the shaft 18.

The means for driving the shaft is of course immaterial, and I wish it distinctly understood that this invention is not limited to the connection shown between the collar or member 17 and the shutter 11, as I claim any operative connection between a shutter and a member 1? when the latter is operated as described below. This member 17 is as stated. preferably in the form of a collar, loose on the shaft 18, and it is also prefer ably hollowed out as shown in Fig. 3 so that the member 21 which is tight on the shaft. can enter the member 17, and their flat faces will be in close connection. By having the member 17 hollowed out as shown, it will prevent oil or other liquidwhich is held between the two members from being thrown off by the centrifugal action of the parts.

The collar 17 can be connected in any convenient way with the rod 15, and I have shown it provided with a'lug 16 which e11- gages the'lower end of the rod. The parts 17 and 21 are placed in close relation so that their flat faces will almost touch, and

a little oil or other liquid is placed between them. lVhen the shaft 18 is speeded up-to the correct speed, the skin friction of the parts through the connecting medium of the liquid, or in other words, the viscidlty of the liquid. actuated by the centrifugal force,

will form a connecting link between the two members so that the member 17 will turn with the member 21, and the said member '17 will therefore lift the parts 15 and 13, and so open the shutter 11 which, however, will of its own weight immediately close when the speed of the shaft 18 bers 17 and 21.

I claim-:

1. The combination with a shutter, of a driving shaft, amember loose on the shaft and operatively connected with'the shutter so that the turning of the member moves .the shutter, a second member tight on the shaft and in close. proximity -to the first member, and a liquid between the two members.

2., A shutter working mechanism comprising a drivingshaft, tightand loose members on the shaft in close relation to each other and with liquid between them, a shutter,. and an operative connection between the aforesaid loose member and the shutter.

is lessened so. as to lessen'the friction betweenthe mem- 3. -A shutter working mechanism comprising a crank shaft having a shutter attached thereto, a driving shaft, tight and loose members in close proximity on the driving shaft, a liquid between said memtween the tight and loose members, a mov- .able. shutter, between the shutter and the loose member and an operative connection whereby the turning the shutter.

the member works Witnesses:

IVABREN B. HUTOHINSON, ARTHUR G. DANNELL.

BARTON A. PROCTOR. 

